BRITISH PROTEST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 July 1940, Page 5

BRITISH PROTEST

JAPANESE ALLEGATIONS REJECTED LORD HALIFAX ON DEATH OF MR COX. WARNING CONVEYED TO AMBASSADOR. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.13 a.m.) RUGBY, July 30. In a statement in the House of Lords on the arrest of British subjects in Japan, the Foreign Minister, Lord Halifax, who had this morning received the Japanese Ambassador in London, said it was hardly necessary to state that there is no foundation whatsoever for the allegation by the Japanese Government, implicit in the joint announcement of the Minister of Wai’ and Justice, connecting the arrests with "the increasing activities of foreign organs of espionage and conspiracy” in Japan. Lord Halifax went on to refer to the further Japanese announcement on the circumstances of the death of Mr Cok. He said: “The announcement states that, in the light of a note addressed to his wife, which was discovered on his person, ‘it seems that, with the progress of the investigation, deceased became aware that he could not escape conviction.’ His Majesty’s Government is unable to accept this totally unwarranted assumption of guilt and strong representations have already been made by his Majesty's Ambassador at Tokio to the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs. I myself asked the Japanese Ambassador to call this morning, when I left his Excellency in no doubt as to the serious view his Majesty's Government took of these arrests. I would prefer to say no more at the present stage.”

ACTION IN TOKIO SIR R. CRAIGIE INTERVIEWS . MR. MATSUOKA. LONDON, July 30. It is authoritatively stated that the British Ambassador in Tokio, Sil’ Robert Craigie, in his interview with the Foreign Minister, Mr Matsuoka, regarding the British subjects who were arrested, stressed the serious view that is taken in Britain and perhaps elsewhere of the incident, which has political implications apart from many technical charges. The ambassador gave explicit assurances that the British community in Japan has no political organisations, and he pointed out that there is a strong and efficient Nazi Party organisation. REPLACEMENT OF ALIENS MORE ABOUT “ESPIONAGE NETWORK.” TOKIO, July 30. The Education Ministry is reported to be planning to replace 500 alien instructors with Japanese owing to the “discovery of the British espionage network,” also stricter supervision of missionaries. READY FOR THE WORST J APANESE-AM ERICAN RELATIONS. APPOINTMENT OF AMBASSADOR. TOKIO, July 30. Admiral Yomiuri said Mr Matsuoka had been offered the post of Ambassador to the United States. Mr Yoshisuke Aikawa, president of the Manchuria Heavy Industry Company, is replacing Mr Horinouchi. Admiral Yomiuri added that Mr Matsuoka intends avoiding friction in Japanese-American relations while being “in perfect readiness for the worst.”